Budget Beauty Buys: Dirty Works Review

I spotted some of the retro-packaged 'Dirty Works' skincare range on offer in my local Sainsbury's the other week so a review was begging!

Source- Princess Prudence Diaries

I purchased both the face wash and the night cream at half of their original price and having been using them both for a few days.
The face wash is lovely in that it doesn't get too soapy when you initially rub it (I hate an over use of sodium laureth sulfate!) and isn't to sticky when it's applied and washes off well. The scent is quite unusual in that it's not the usual soapy smell often associated with face washes, but I found it quite refreshing. It's only £3.99 full price but it is always nice to buy new products to try at a little less!

I found that it removed my make-up well and in applying a toner afterwards there was no residue which was a good sign.

The night cream is particularly nice as it is very light (I don't like a thick cream at bedtime!) It sinks in extremely quickly, although I do have skin on the drier side of the spectrum. I usually use Bio Oil and haven't bought a regular night cream for quite a while. I was already using Dirty Works eye cream which I love and so far, the night cream has been a good buy. I'd been using Bio Oil for months so I'm guessing it will take a wee while to see any obvious changes!!

I do have to confess that I am a sucker for retro and glamorous  packaging and do have a special affinity for Soap & Glory, but at these prices I was very happy to try Dirty Works and have not been disappointed.
All in all, I would give it a 7/10.
Have you tried it? What did you think?
               
*PS- There's a Flash Sale on my Redressing Website this month! Grab yourself a bargain xXx

Budget Buys: Vintage nails on a budget, nail stickers review

You know how house magazines often have a double page spread where they find some cheaper versions of otherwise expensive stuff? Well, I thought I'd try a few 'Budget Buys' of my own to help you in your wise stewarding of financial resource! So when I stumbled upon these cutesy nail stickers in Primark the other day, I knew they would have to be post number one!

Nail Stickers- Primark £1

 At a mere £1 for 20 stickers; 10 fingers, 10 toes, I just had to give them a try. They came on a long strip and were really very easy to pull off. If anything, the stickers are a bit too long at quite a bit of the kitsch floral pattern got missed off my nails! I found that if I was very careful I could use my other thumb to score down the edge between the sticker and my cuticle which gave them a better shape. The remainder could then be bent over my nail and the excess sticker easily pulled off.

 I don't usually paint or decorate my finger nails and so thought these might make an interesting budget buy instead of forking out for a proper nail artist. But, you get what you pay for and although they look good from a distance I didn't rate them all that highly as they did tear quite easily but they stayed stuck down very well though and were a bit of a pain to remove in the end!

 You can't argue with a £1 for a bit of fun though. Overall, I would rate them 7/10. What do you think?!
Have a happy Monday folks, what did you get up to this weekend?
                                    x

The Re-Script Workshop. C is for....

Hello lovelies- it's been great to have you in the re-script journey so far! Today's encouragement towards inner strength and outer gorgeousness is all about connectivity. Who are your primary connections in life and just how much do you value them?

(Source)

There is a saying among my community that we are 'not brilliant, but connected'. In other words, there are many things we cannot do on our own but because we are part of a wider network we can access the strength and resources of one another. This is true when it comes to inner strength; you have to know that we are not designed to operate alone; we are designed to be part of community and to benefit from this, this is part of what enables us to have inner strength and for many of us, that's our best friends.

(Source)

Today's challenge is to write to your best friends. Tell them why they are invaluable to you and your pursuit of inner strength. Encourage them as to why their presence in your world helps keep you strong and that they are truly valued. It's their friendship and honesty that enables you to look gorgeous and not commit some fashion faux-pas! It's the knowledge that they are and will always be there for you that gives you the strength when you most need it. I know they will appreciate it.
Do let us know how you get on. Remember, we are not brilliant, but connected!
Have a great week.
            x

Fab Frock Friday!...

Today's Fab Frock is in fact not a frock at all...... but a Playsuit!

Be Beau Playsuit

I found this little beauty hiding away in Matalan and just love the retro feel of the neckline. I hadn't realised until I popped over to Lil Vintage Me blog just how popular the playsuit was in the 40s and 50s. Maxine has done some great research; thanks! At £18 I couldn't resist and with all the hot weather of late, I was really pleased I did!

Here's me out in this glorious weather wearing my playsuit.

Enjoying the sunshine

 I do hope you've had fun in the sun. Have a great long Jubilee weekend everyone!
X

The Re-Script Workshop: A is for.....

Welcome to the first post in the Re-Script Workshops!

.....A is for Attitude.... a Positive one at that!

Before we begin our journey let me explain why this journey is such an important one for me. I believe that all women are beautiful. Every. Single. One. We are designed to be able, capable and beautiful. Sometimes, life tries to take over. We get busy at work; we have children who need us; we get tired with life and we forget. We forget to remember that we are strong. We forget to remember that we are beautiful. We forget to remember that we have a purpose, a destiny, a choice. Today's post is our first attempt to re-script that lack of remembrance and to begin to change our attitude towards ourselves so here's your challenge. Take a piece of paper and a pen. Write down 5 things you really like about yourself. Things you really like. Write them in really large letters! Use the kids glittery gel pens, whatever you have to hand, but write them down big enough for you to read them easily. If 5 is just too many then start with 3. If you have more than 5 then that's great. Now write them down. These are your new script. This is going to become the way you think, talk, hear things and respond to others when it comes to your view of yourself. Stick them up somewhere you can see them. If you aren't ready for others to see them them stick them to the inside of your knicker drawer- but stick them somewhere you can see them  and read them. Everyday, read them. Know them. Own them. This is you. Welcome to the re-script workshop.

If you'd like to share how you feel within this challenge I'd love to encourage you. If you already have a positive attitude towards yourself and love who you are then share your journey with us. Become a member of the Re-Script workshop here or share your thoughts in a comment post.

Fab Frock Friday- Summer is here!!

Wow! What a turn around in the weather?! Well ladies, there's nothing for it but to don a dress....

and here are 5 good reasons why you should....

D- Don't think you have to be going out somewhere posh to don a fab dress- you are gorgeous inside and out so show it!
R- Rarely does the sun actually come out, so what are you waiting for?!
E- Everybody can wear a dress! Check out some of my previous posts on body shape and how to dress it well here.
S- Sunshine is good for you (with an appropriate sunscreen on of course!) Get some sun on your legs.
S- So you don't have a dress?! No problem.... check out Redressing today and grab yourself a gorgeous gown or fab frock today! P&P only £3 and we ship worldwide.

Don't forget to sign up for the new "Re-Script Workshops" here!

Enjoy the sunshine ladies! Happy Friday X

What's in my bag?....

People say what's in your handbag says something about you so here's what's in mine this rainy bank holiday Monday and we'll see just what it says about me!

Cath Kidston Zip Up Hand Bag in Summer Blossom Putty

My handbag is a fab sized zip up handbag from Cath Kidston. Designer yes but last years print purchased from the Outlet, so draw your own conclusions....
On to the contents.

I do like to be organised ("really?!" I hear you cry!), so my bag contains a variety of other bags. Zip up wallets, purses and make up bags so I can find things easily without losing them in the bottom of my cavernous handbag. As a bust Mother of 3 I carry an awful lot of their (and my) tat, so at least I can locate it all easily.

CK clasp purse, Vintage fabric zip coin purse

CK giant zip up wallet

The Purse Collection: Keeping track of my finances is really important to me and so the easiest way I know to do this is the whole separate-purse thing. One is my personal money, the cute vintage fabric purse I bought on my fab birthday trip to Vintage Norwich from Poppy Valentine.

The large Cath Kidston one is the household stash and is large enough for cash, cards, receipts and my Costa card (again, draw your own conclusions!) It was a Christmas gift a few years ago and is a great size. The other CK clasp fastener is my Business wallet so I don't have to spend my life borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. When I was a student (in the dark ages) I used a book to list my outgoings. Tracking your spending is crucial to good stewardship and money management.

vintage 1950s sunnies and cheap-chic case

Next is my cheap-as-chips Sunnies case from Primarni and my rather more expensive Vintage 50s Sunnies.
I also have my reading glasses (yet to buy vintage frames) in another Cath Kidston Christmas present case.

Real glasses in CK case

With 3 daughters (all with long hair) I also have a make-up bag for our combined Girly-Tat. I try to only carry the bare essentials around on a permanent basis and am a big fan of duplicate lipsticks- one at home, one in the handbag. At present the Tat-Kit consists of emery boards, red nail polish (Rimmel 'Double Decker Red'), red lipstick (Boots No7 'Glam') and liner (Max Factor 'Red Rush'), hair clips, 'Dirty Works' under eye cream (like that works!) and a mini mirror. I probably should add tweezers and plasters but I'll get around to it! I also carry an emergency pink lippy for those rare occasions when Red is just too hot!

Make-Up essentials bag

I also have my business cards in a CK wallet and use another one as a pencil case.

Business Cards

Pencil Case

At the moment I also have a Boots magazine, hairbrush and of course a cute cherry print umbrella!

And yes, my arms ache!!!!

I'm thinking there are definitely two immediate thoughts from the contents of my bag- the first being that I do love a bit of Cath Kidston, or a lot in fact but am not bothered by whether its the latest fabrics. I think that's because I just love a timeless classic with a huge nod to vintage chic.
The second is that my bag is pretty full and therefore pretty heavy! I like to have everything I could think of with me though, both for my needs and those of my girls. I like to think of myself as prepared for most occasions.

Although we started with my handbag, this philosophy carries on through the rest of my life. If you are prepared for a situation then it doesn't intimidate, threaten or shake you. The key is to never take anything for granted and to really appreciate every day (even the wet ones). Life is full of surprises so tackle them with a clear sense of your identity as a woman, a self-control that produces balance and, as I have found, a good red lipstick can also help!

What does your hand bag say about you?
                          x

Friday Favourites!

Today's Friday Favourites are from Redressing, (I couldn't resist!).... enjoy!  x

 Dorothy Perkins chiffon style sundress, size 14,  £15

Pink Next Mad Men wiggle shift dress, size 16,  £20

1950s inspired polka dot day dress, size 10, £15

Coast  champagne Evening dress, size 12,  £25

Ditsy print tea dress, size 18, £15

Something for everyone in our 3 fab collections.
Happy Friday!
  x